


Truth Be Told

by RichSkitzCale



Series: The Cale Storyline Redux [2]
Category: Generation X (Comic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2018-11-15 10:44:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11229315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichSkitzCale/pseuds/RichSkitzCale
Summary: Within two months after joining the school, the new student suffers a breakdown that the team can't handle alone.  Having called in two members of the X-Men, they now learn about the events that happened, in hopes of learning how to bring the new student out of his depression.





	1. Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the story opens, Penance is worried about the new student, who not only helped bring her out of her shell, but also has become the love of her life. Now she and the others of Generation X must inform the arriving X-Men of the events that led to this state of affairs.

    It was a cold January day at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters.  This was typical for the time of year, as Yvette had come to learn during her time at the school.  It made her time there a bit difficult, when she used to live out in the Biosphere.  That had changed last month, when she finally gained some control over her powers, and was also given a genuine room in the dorms.  The cause of that change, however, had become as cold as the winter air, and she didn’t know why.  
    It was that concern she had that led to her being outside the room of the newest student to the school, Richard Cale.  After they had met, and the team had defeated Emplate, their relationship developed, and she was always glad to be around him.  In fact, he hadn’t started this change until a little after Christmas.  Something about those events had sent the boy she loved into a sharp downward spiral.  If fact, she and Monet had followed him one day, and saw him doing something that had made her heart stop.  
    Now she looked in from the door, worrying about the guy she loved.  He had gone from happy to depressed, and she knew why.  Two events happened since he arrived, and each had dealt a terrible blow to his psyche, which Emma Frost had warned her about when she sensed the change in him.  She was glad about that when it came to the event that scared her most.  
    Right now, she saw he was looking at a photo that she had seem him looking at from time to time.  Each time she saw him look at it, she saw a tear come to his eye.  She understood why, but she had a feeling he needed to talk more about it, and he wasn’t doing so.  She didn’t know what to do to help him, which bothered her since he had done so much for her.  She knew Emma had a thought on what might help, and had made plans for it to happen today.  
    Yvette was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard a figure approach her, and she was slightly startled when a voice softly said, “Has there been any change, Yvette?”  She turned and saw Emma had arrived.  She knew why Emma was being on the quiet side, since they didn’t want to spook Richard in his delicate state.  
    She looked at Emma with one eye, trying to keep the other on Richard while she answered the question.  “No, Emma.”  She let out a sigh, and then continued.  “I can’t even begin to approach him.”  She then shivered as she voiced part of one of her biggest fears.  “I’ve never seen him like this before.  It worries me.”  
    She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a bit of comfort from the action.  “It’s alright, Yvette.  None of us have seen him like this.”  The use of her given first name made her feel better.  It was something most of them were doing once they found it out.  It was another thing she had to thank Richard for.  Emma had started using it just after Emplate’s attack.  Right now, it was an extra comfort given all that was going on.  She then heard Emma continue speaking.  “You must remember what Richard has been through.  Part of him feels remorse for the events.  From the short time he’s been here, we know he doesn’t like taking those actions.”  
    Yvette nodded in understanding, but it still didn‘t fully explain why she and Monet had caught Richard going where he was going.  He was literally committing suicide, or an equivalent of it.  She shook her head as she spoke.  “That doesn‘t give him the excuse for trying to turn himself over to Emplate.  He knows I wouldn‘t let him do that, and he knows what that monster did to me.”  
    To her surprise, she heard Monet respond to her statement.  “That could be why he tried to sneak away, Penny.”  Yvette glanced at Monet, hoping to communicate with the glance that Monet didn‘t have the right to call her that.  There were only two people allowed to call her that, one being Richard, and the other being the person she thought of as her ‘sister‘, Jubilee.  Since Monet was Emplate‘s brother, she didn‘t think the Algerian girl had the right to use that nickname.  
    If Monet caught the meaning of the glance, it didn‘t stop her from speaking.  “He didn‘t know we were following him, but I think he was secretly hoping we were.”  The next words Monet spoke, however, caused the girl some embarrassment, as if it struck close to home for her as well.  “I think that something he said came back to haunt him.”  
    This revelation made Yvette want to find out what it was, and how Monet seemed connected to it.  She wasn‘t even in shock when she said the word at the same time Emma said it.  “What?”  
    If it were possible, Yvette would have sworn Monet was blushing at the moment, as if admitting this was an additional embarrassment.  “He said to me once that ‘The truth can surface in ugly ways.’  He faced the ugliest truth in his family not too long ago.”  
    Yvette wanted to yell at Monet for saying that.  How could she have said such a thing.  Yes, what Richard faced was ugly, but it wasn’t like he knew about it.  She knew about Emplate, and never told the school that he was her brother.  
    Before she could yell, though, Emma interjected, like she knew what was about to happen.  “Yes, but that does not take into account the events that happened over Christmas break.  We don’t know the full details about them, but from what I was able to gather, Richard feels guilty about what happened to Sean’s cousin.”  Yvette had figured that was part of it all, and she didn’t know much about the man.  
    She took that moment as an opportunity to find out more, and even cool down.  She had noticed that her hands were stating to turn into their clawed form for when her powers were active.  “Emma, what’s the story between Sean and his cousin?  I’m still unsure of it all.”  
    She noticed a look in Emma’s eyes, which told her that she was grateful that Yvette had been smart enough to know what was needed to diffuse the situation.  To be honest, part of her knew better than to antagonize Monet, but she still was unsure when it came to her former captor’s sister.  
    Emma then answered the question.  “The long answer would have to be covered another time, but the short answer is that they basically had the same relationship that Monet and her brother have.  Tom became a mutant terrorist, and from what Sean gathered, had somehow developed the ability to control plants.”  Yvette had shivered when she heard how the relationship was similar to the family relationship between Monet and Emplate, but she still didn’t fully understand, and she had been here when Tom had shown up.  
    She was about to ask another question when she heard footsteps heading towards them.  She glanced in the direction they were coming from, and saw both Jubilation Lee and Everett Thomas coming towards them.  As the girl she viewed as a sister got nearer, she heard her address Emma.  “Emma, Jean and Scott are here.”  Yvette wasn’t surprised by this news.  Emma had told her that calling the two X-Men up to the school was the best way they had for helping Richard now.  It had been a decision made by both Emma and Sean.  
    Yvette looked into her boyfriend’s room again, knowing that the first step was going to be discussing all the event that led up to this, and Richard wasn’t in any mental state to be left alone right now.  She looked over at Richard again, but asked Emma, “Do you want me to keep an eye on him, Emma, until you need me?”  
    She wasn’t surprised when she heard Everett answer the question.  “I’m going to keep an eye on him.  I don’t really have any information to contribute to what caused his state.”  She turned to face him, and saw him smile as he let his mutant aura become visible.  “Besides, if he does sneak away, I can track him.”  Yvette was relieved to hear that.  It seemed everything had been thought of at the moment.  Now, however, was the more nerve racking moment.  She was going to meet Scott and Jean Summers, the two who were presently in charge of the X-Men, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous about that.  Still, she walked with the group that headed over to the main building on the school’s campus.  
  
    Sean Cassidy was only a bit relieved when Scoot and Jean had arrived.  Both he and Emma had hoped that the two X-Men were the best hope for trying to get Richard out of the depression the lad was in.  It had literally caused an emotional barrier that almost seemed like a real one, keeping people from getting to close.  Even Yvette couldn’t get close to him, especially with what had happened a week ago.  That was tragic because the two were in love.  During the short time the two had been together, Sean would have sworn he was looking at a younger version of Jean and Scott in those two.  
    Once they reached the room where Emma had suggested they all gathered, Jean asked the question that Sean figured was on the minds of the couple.  “Sean, what seems to be the problem?  You were a bit vague when you contacted us, but insisted it was important.”  In the wake of Onslaught, Emma had figured just saying it was important would get the X-Men to send help over as soon as possible, and she had been right.  
    Sean, however, waited until almost everyone arrived in the room.   He didn’t want to wait too long, since everyone that was being assembled each had information to share.  He was also certain that the whole situation would be overwhelming if just one person gave all the details, and not many people were around for both incidents that contributed to Richard’s current mental state.  
    Once everyone sat down, Sean looked over everyone before addressing Scott and Jean.  Jean, who was one of the best telepaths on the planet, wasn’t about to go through their minds without permission, and preferred speaking when it came to sorting out psychological problems.  It was something, Sean felt, Emma could take lessons on.  “Well, Jean, Scott, it’s regarding our new student, Richard Cale.”  
    To Sean’s surprise, it was Scott who reacted first.  It was true that he first mentioned the new student to Scott when Richard had first contacted him.  “Wait.  Wasn’t that the one you called us about?  Asking if he contacted us first?”  For a moment, Sean thought he could sense an extra bit of concern in Scott’s voice, as if the tactical leader of the X-Men seemed to be jumping to an incorrect conclusion.  
    Sean raised his hand in a placating gesture, determined to calm Scott’s fears.  “Yes, but I assure you that it is nae what you think.”  Once he saw Scott relax, he continued.  “Recently, he has closed himself off from everyone, including Yvette.”  When he mentioned her, he motioned to her at the table.  When she stood and nodded, he noticed a look of confusion on the X-men’s faces.  He added as she sat back down, smoothing her blue dress, an item she had first worn on the day Richard recovered, “Ye may know her better as Penance.”  
    That little revelation took both by surprise, but Jean more so.  She spent a minute staring Yvette before saying, “What happened to cause this change?  It’s amazing.”  She then glanced over at him, “Was this the new student’s doing?”  
    He was about to answer when Emma spoke.  “Yes, Jean.  Richard has the mutant ability to fully mimic a mutant he is close to.  Shortly after his arrival, he formed a connection with Yvette, which has caused Yvette to become the person you see now.  She has better control over her powers, as well as budding psychic abilities.  In fact, until recently, she and Richard have been inseparable.”  
    Sean watched the two take that information in.  It was evident that they now realized how much of an impact that the new student had made, and why their help was needed.  Now came the question Sean knew would be coming.  “What happened?”  
    Sean figured now was the time to get to the heart of the matter.  He sighed, knowing that they would be starting in soon, so he started by stating what happened during the Christmas break.  “Well, during Christmas, we had some unexpected company.  My cousin, Black Tom, had been on the school grounds.  There was only five students left at the school at the time, and it had been Richard who had discovered Tom’s presence.”  
    At that moment, Sean saw Scott shake his head, as if the spectacled X-Men was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he heard.  “Wait a second.  How could this new student manage that?  Does his power really work like that?”  
    Sean nodded in the affirmative.  “Aye, that it does.  He takes on the ability of the mutant he is closest to when he is in a neutral state.  When I picked him up at the airport, his power detected Emplate when the blighter was out of synch with our world.  He can even use that mutant‘s ability again them if he chooses.”  
    He noticed that Jubilation was about to say something, but then the girl must have thought about what she was going to say.  He then noticed Monet looked like she was about to say something.  He glanced at her, and she said, “I did see Richard manage to use my brother’s ability against him, in some sort of way.  It was how we managed to turn the tide during his latest attack.”  
    Sean noticed that both Jean and Scott were coming to realize the extent of Richard’s powers.  Sean said at that moment, “Those are some of the benefits to his ability, in addition to communicating with Penance.  This lad’s power could put any mutant detection method to shame.  Of course, we also run the risk of him being transformed into a second Emplate, or even worse.”  
    He could tell that Jean was starting to put things together, but she didn’t know the full story.  She could only guess on how events start to play out.  “So Richard stumbled on to Tom’s presence, but Tom was unaware that he had been found out.”  
    Sean nodded.  “That he did.”  Sean knew the sequence of events that happened next, and knew now that it was the start of a drastic decline for the new student.  He then leaned forward, resting his closed hands on the table.  “And that’s when everything went crazy.  We will all tell you what had happened, as best as we can remember.”  He then started relaying the very event that started it all off.


	2. Sean's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean tells part of the story of one of the events that led to the new student's breakdown: the discovery of Black Tom's presence on the school grounds.

    I had been talking with Mondo for a while that day.  Seemed the lad had been more interested in how some of the things worked on campus.  This had been a change in the lad, since he had always accepted that they just worked.  I should have realized it to be a sign that something was up, since the things he was most interested in had been the security measures.  
    Now, I wasn't about to stop an inquisitive mind, and it was in the best interest of all of them to learn how they worked.  I was about to start explaining one of them when I heard someone call for me.  "Sean, can I speak with you for a moment?"  
    I had recognized who had called.  It was Richard, and I had turned to see the newest student was standing outside the door to the room we had been in.  Now, while his voice didn't hint at any urgency, I noticed he was trying to attract my attention.  I also noticed a look of worry in the lad's eyes.  Given what I had known about Richard, and his family’s past, I had a feeling that privacy was going to be needed.  
    I turned back to Mondo, and held up a hand.  “I’ll be a moment, lad.”  Once I saw Mondo nod in understanding, I walked over to the door Richard had appeared in.  The lad had obviously stepped out of line of sight of the door.  Figuring that would be best, I walked through the door, and turned in the direction Richard had ducked down.  
    What I saw had me do a double take.  Richard had indeed ducked behind the door, but it wasn’t because he wanted to talk about anything related to his family.  I saw that behind Richard was another figure, apparently unconscious.  I recognized the figure immediately, since I had just been talking to the same figure seconds ago.  It was Mondo.  
    Confused, I looked directly at Richard, and I could see that he saw my confusion.  The sight of another Mondo was making me worry about the curiosity of the one I just left.  I had to hope that what I was looking at wasn’t the real thing.  At least I kept my voice low, which as ye know isn’t easy for me, as I questioned Richard about what I saw.  “Richard, what is this?  Did ye find a clone of Mondo?  Or is this someone posing as Mondo?”  I had been hoping the last question was the one to be answered with a ‘Yes‘.  
    To my dismay, I saw Richard shake his head, trying to keep a calm look on his face.  “No, sir.  I found the real one.  The imposter is out there.”  I saw him point to the room I had left as he said that.  
    It wasn’t the answer I had wanted to hear.  I took a moment to glance out into the room I had left.  The Mondo I saw in there had taken a seat, waiting patiently for me to return.  I returned my gaze to Richard, and pointed to the unconscious form.  "How can ye be sure that this one is an imposter?"  
    In all honesty, I had already suspected the answer, even before Richard gave it.  "I was on a walk on the grounds when I detected a mutant presence.  I picked up on a mixture of things when I did.  There were plans to capture us all, with a fake Mondo being the first part of the plan.  I also sensed some botanical control, and one other thing that puzzled me."  I gave him a questioning look, and he gave the last detail.  "I sensed a similarity to you."  
    That worried me a bit.  I started to worry what that meant, and fearing it wasn’t going to be what I thought it would be.  I asked him then, "Do ye mean they have a sonic scream?"  
    What Richard said next hit me like a ton of bricks.  "No.  I mean it’s a Cassidy."  
    I realized at that moment that moment that the school was in very serious trouble.  One that the students hadn’t been made aware of yet.  Now I had to get all the students that were still at the school together.  There was, however, the issue of the fake Mondo.  We needed to take care of this threat immediately.  I looked at Richard and asked him, “Is there anything that we might be able to do to stop the fake Mondo?”  
    I could see Richard was thinking about it.  Given Richard’s abilities, I had a feeling that the lad might have an idea that might tell us how true the imposter was.  Finally, I heard him respond, “Well, I did pick up that that one could be nothing more than a plant construct under the control of the intruder.  If that’s the case, fire would be the best solution.  It would destroy the thing faster than cutting it would.”  
    I nodded in agreement, and then looked in the room.  I would need to get the right person there, and soon, if we were to eliminate that threat.  I just didn’t have a way to call them without drawing attention to the fact that I suspected, since Emma was not at the school at the time.  
    As I thought of what to do, I heard Richard say, “Sir.  I think I should get the real Mondo to the med unit.  I don’t know how long he was out there, but he does need medical attention.”  I turned and nodded at Richard, signaling that I thought he was right.  I saw in that moment his concern for his fellow classmate.  Of course, I knew this was also due to the fact that Richard had believed he lost a family member in his youth, and the lad thought of the students at the school as a part of his family.  
    I heard Richard then use my own power to get himself and the real Mondo away.  I was thankful that the fake one hadn’t heard that, but I hoped that the answer to our problem would soon arrive.  It turned out luck was on my side.  Jonothan had chosen that moment to enter the room, and I knew we would be able to resolve the first part of our problem.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
    Jonothan, who had been paying attention to Sean’s account of what had happened, politely listened as Jean stopped Sean.  Obviously, she had reached a slightly incorrect conclusion about how the events went.  “So Richard discovered that Tom had made a copy of Mondo.  How could that be traumatic?”  He realized she would change her tune on that soon.  
    He took that moment to speak up, so to speak.  _“We could only wish it was that simple.  Hell, I wish it could be like my problem.”_   He gestured to the fiery hole that was the signature of his mutant power.  The action gained a nod from Sean, and Jonothan continued speaking to the group.  _“You see, the events that followed got to show us that Richard has an unique temper.  He had told us shortly after his arrival that he usually holds in the things that bother him until it explodes in a fit of rage.”_   Jonothan noticed that the few at the table that had seen it happen shuddered.  
    He then noticed that Scott had a look of shock on his face, obviously not believing the statement.  This was confirmed when Scott asked, “Worse than Logan’s?”  They all knew of the temper that Wolverine had, mostly due to Jubilation telling everyone this.  When Sean nodded in response to that, Jonothan then heard Scott as, “Well then.  What led to the start of this breakdown?”  Jonothan knew he was going to have to pick up the tale from this point, so he continued the story.  
  



	3. Jono’s Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jono continues the tale of the first event, telling how they took care of the imposter, and how it almost took the life of the new student.

    When I had walked into the room, I had seen Mondo sitting in a chair, starting to look a bit anxious.  It had been unusual at the time, but I had only chalked it up to the sudden changes in things happening at the school.  With the new student, and what happened when he arrived, it should have been expected.  Yet, Mondo was the most laid back student here, so him looking anxious was odd.  
    Before I could ask him what was wrong, Sean was standing in the door opposite me, and beckoned me over.  As I headed towards him, I heard him say to Mondo, "Lad, I will be with ye in a moment.  Just need to give Jono a message."  Once I had reached the door, I heard Sean say, rather softly, "Jono, we have a problem.  Richard found the real Mondo elsewhere on the grounds, and the one here is a clone."  
    I could tell Sean was being serious, but I will admit I had some doubts about it.  While I had seen Richard's ability do some amazing things, I didn't think he could detect if someone was a clone or not.  I just had to ask the question that bothered me.  _"How did Richard know?"_  
    Of all the things I figured might be offered as an explanation, I actually heard something I didn't expect to hear.  "The lad had the good, or bad, luck to discover my cousin is here."  We had heard about Black Tom a bit a few months ago, but I didn't expect us to have an encounter with him.  I then heard Sean continue.  "Seems he replaced Mondo with a plantlike cone."  
    All at once, I put it together.  I was being asked to take care of the clone.  I double checked, since I knew my power had hurt someone in the past before.  _“I’m guessing that Richard seemed to think I have the ability to get rid of this clone.”_   I saw Sean nod, and I now had to struggle with my doubts about doing that.  
    Since the time my powers manifested, I vowed to learn all I could about them.  That meant learning what I could do to keep them from hunting another soul.  I still feel guilty about what happened to Gayle, an action that while accidental, left her confined to a wheelchair, and then made her join Emplate’s group.  
    Of course, if this Mondo was a clone, I wouldn’t feel so bad about it.  At least, I thought that.  With clones, I wasn’t sure if I could rationalize away hurting them.  I mean if clones are real people as well as their originals, who was to say they didn’t have a right to live.  I had no idea what the right choice was.  
    That was until I heard, and saw, Richard and Yvette enter the room.  Richard was coming in without looking into the room.  Obviously, Richard’s own ability hadn’t recovered from bringing in the other Mondo, since he was talking with Yvette.  Judging by how he spoke, he didn’t know the other Mondo was still alive.  “And the Mondo that I found was the real one.”  
    I now know the folly I had made waiting so long.  I saw the shock first on Yvette’s face as she pointed into the room, and said, “And that one is the fake?”  When she spoke that question, everything happened quickly, starting with Richard spinning to face an oncoming fist from Mondo.  It was something, since the arm seemed to lengthen to deliver the punch.  Both of them ducked in different directions, but unfortunately for Richard, the creature was focused on him.  
    At that point, the creature had morphed its arms into tendrils, and had quickly wrapped around Richard.  I had no choice then but to blast the thing.  I focused my energy into a beam, and literally incinerated the monster.  I knew it couldn’t be Mondo then.  Luckily, my blast was in time, as the creature was literally destroyed, with anything outside the blast falling to the floor as ash.  Of course, before that happened to all of the tendril, Yvette had cut it off, and was now holding Richard up as he gasped for breath.  
    I walked over to the two, and apologized for my lack of action.  _“Sorry about that, Richard.  I had still had some doubts about it.”_   I felt he would understand my reasons, since I had told him a bit about Gayle.  
    Sure enough, I saw him nod as he caught his breath.  I had to admit, the brush with death didn’t seem to rattle him too much, since he responded with a statement that almost sounded like a joke.  “I understand, Jono.  I just didn’t expect another near death encounter like that.  Makes my third one.”  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
    Yvette sat back, listening carefully as Jean stopped Jonathan's story.  Obviously, that part about Richard's statement was deemed an important point.  "Do you believe that might have been part of his breakdown?"  She knew that Jean was a powerful telepath.  That much had been explained to her when they called them for help.  At least now they were getting closer to the source of Richard’s breakdown, but she knew they weren’t there yet.  
    She felt Jonothan was about to say something, but she heard Sean answer the question that was asked.  “That had been the first time that any of us knew about Richard having brushes with death.  As you can see,” she saw him motion around the table, “those of us who weren’t at the school at the time of that attack are just learning it now.”  
    Looking around the table, Yvette could see the stunned looks on the faces of all the girls.  Monet, who had been either paying attention, or in one of her spells, turned to look at Sean so quick, Yvette was afraid the girl had snapped her own neck.  Jubilation had almost fallen out of her chair.  Paige, who had been trying to look calm during it all, had done a double take.  Even Emma Frost, who had started helping her with her psychic powers, looked shocked.  
    Yvette had a feeling she had to make a confession.  Richard had told her things since they had started dating.  She leaned forward in her chair, and said, “That is not true.  Rich told me about it before any of this had happened.”  She then saw the look of shock on Sean’s face, and for a moment, she wondered if she spoke out of turn.  
    After a moment, she saw him calm down, and take a more fatherly tone when he spoke.  “Yvette, lass, ye mean to tell me that ye knew about that?”  She could hear a bit of concern in his voice.  It was just like the voice her real father had had.  Everyone had treated her nicely when she finally realized they were trying to help her.  Maybe he actually did give off the vibe, as some said, of being a father.  
    She nodded, and started to blush a little in embarrassment.  She hadn’t expected everyone to look at her about this.  “Rich told me many things about his life.  He said he had learned how to cope with facing death after the first time.  Guess it makes the possibility of dying less of a concern.”  She started to look down, but she noticed that Jean seemed to be nodding in agreement with what she said.  
    The man next to Jean, Scott, looked at her, and although she couldn’t see his eyes behind his ruby colored sunglasses, she imagined they were full of concern.  She sensed it in his voice, as well as a bit of authority.  “Then could you help us clear this up?”  He wanted to find the answer as much as everyone at the school did.  
    She nodded, and raised her head back up.  With everything that had happened since that day, she thought she might have an idea of what it was.  “I think that part of it has to deal with facing death, but not in the sense of one’s impending death.”  With that, she took up the tale about that particular day, and what had passed.  
  



	4. Yvette’s Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvette takes over relating the tale of the first attack. At this point, the members of Generation X that are still at the school go to fight Black Tom Cassidy, but things don't appear to go well. In fact, as the story goes, due to one attack, the new student doesn't hold anything back.

    I helped Richard off the floor, but it was tricky.  I was upset with Jonathan, for not doing what he had been told to do, so I was doing my best not to let my hands tense up.  I didn't want to hurt Richard as I helped him up.  
    While I was doing that, I glared at Jonothan, wondering why he delayed.  I still had my instincts, and I knew if there was a threat, you had to act first, and question it later.  I didn’t understand why he waited.  I was about to lash out at him verbally when Richard spoke to me in the link we shared when he was near me.  _“It’s alright, love.  You have to remember that he injured someone once before with his powers.  He didn’t want to hurt another friend.”_  
    For a moment, I couldn’t believe he was defending the hesitation on Jono’s part.  I looked at Richard, noticing his eyes had taken on the solid brown color that signaled he had my powers at the moment.  I then responded on that link, _“But he let the fake one almost kill you.  How can you forgive that so easily?”_  
    I saw a sheepish smile cross his face as he confessed to me, _“To be honest, I started having my own doubts.  I thought I might have told Sean that the real one was a clone instead of real.  At least when the one attacked me, we knew the truth.”_   I was impressed that he remained calm after that.  He had told me that he had been known to have a temper.  
    I then saw Sean, Angelo and Jono walk over to us.  Sean was the one who asked what I already knew the answer of.  “Richard, lad, are ye alright?”  He asked that as he held out a hand to help Richard up.  I knew Sean meant it, since he always tried to earn my trust.  The only reason I never spoke up then was I didn’t fully know how.  I still felt a bit sorry about the injuries he had obtained carrying me into the school.  
    When Richard took Sean’s hand, Sean and I helped him get to his feet.  I heard Richard say as he got to his feet, “As best as can be expected from an experience similar to getting a hug from a boa.”  I had been confused by that statement, until Richard looked at me and said, “That’s a type of snake known for crushing their victims.”  I understood the statement then, and seeing him give a little smile at that point made me feel better about the scenario, even though things weren’t right.  
    I then heard Angelo say, “So, we have an unconscious Mondo in the med unit, and a mad man on the grounds, if I over heard things right.”  Yvette wondered what Angelo meant.  She hadn’t seen him when she first arrived with Richard, but it was possible that he had come up behind Jonothan and Sean.  He was walking behind them as they arrived.  
    I saw Sean turn, unfazed by the statement, and nod at Angelo.  “That is a nice way of putting it, as well as accurate.”  She then heard Sean sigh, and then addressed us in what I can only figure is his official tone, which was accompanied by a gesture for us to all gather around.  “We have a major problem, and we‘ve got to stop it before the others return from Monaco.”  I watched as Sean looked at Richard and said, “Skitz, do ye remember where ye had found Mondo, and sensed my cousin?”  
    I looked at Richard, and saw him nod.  The smile he had moments ago was gone, and I knew he was ready for this.  Outside the tangle with Emplate not too long ago, Richard hadn‘t been in any fights.  This was going to be his first real challenge, and I knew I would be there for him.  
    Sean then continued speaking, letting us know we were preparing to battle a serious threat.  “Chamber, I want you to start charging up for another blast.  Skin, I want you to be ready at a moments notice.  That ability of yours will be needed to pull any one of us out of harms way.”  I saw Angelo nod in understanding.  
    He had then looked at us, and Sean gave us our orders.  “Skitz, I hope you are keeping Penance‘s power on you.  You two might be the only weapons we have until Chamber is ready.”  Hearing him use our codenames really drove the point home.  
    I watched as Richard tensed up as much as he could.  It wasn‘t going to be easy, since we hadn‘t gotten into our uniforms.  In fact, neither Richard or I had team uniforms at this point.  Our abilities make it hard to find a fabric that could withstand them.  Richard finally nodded, and said, “I‘m ready, Banshee.”  He then turned to face me, and asked, “Are you ready, Penny?”  
    I nodded and tensed up as much as I could as well.  I will admit I was a little more relaxed about it since he used the nickname form of my code name.  Once I was ready, I nodded and said, “Let‘s go save our school.”  It was more than a school to me though.  It was my home.  I also noticed Richard approved of my attitude.  He had given me a slight smile, and we all headed out.  
    Richard had taken point, and led us into the one section of forest around the school.  I had a feeling we were past the point where the alarms would have noticed an intruder, since they should have notified us about the man‘s intrusion into the grounds.  Sean had said they were adjusted after Emplate‘s last attack.  
    I paused when Richard stopped, and I could sense some anxiety from him.  We had reached the point where he must have detected Sean‘s cousin.  I remained on alert as Sean nodded, and shouted, “All right, Tom.  We know ye are here, so show yourself.  We even stopped your clone.”  The whole time Sean had been speaking, he signaled us to take our positions.  
    Angelo and Jono were just behind Sean, while Richard and I were in the front.  Both of us had been watching the woods, waiting for a threatening movement of any kind.  While we waited, Richard spoke to me in our mental link, and his words told me he was scared about something.  _“I hope it doesn‘t come down to fighting.”_  
    I took a moment to look at him, and I saw there was worry in his eyes.  I quickly asked him, _“What‘s wrong?”_  
    To be honest, I wasn‘t overly surprised when he responded.  _“Remember what I said about my temper.”_   
    That had been something he told me about shortly after we met.  Richard was one of those people who held their temper in until it came out all at once.  I looked back at Richard, and mentally said, _“Don‘t lose control now.  I don‘t know the extreme of my abilities.  I don‘t want to find out about it because you used it.”_   I quickly remembered seeing what happened when Jubilee lost control of her powers when she was upset.  
    I noticed Richard shuddered as well, as if he had glanced at my thoughts.  He then replied, _“For your sake, Yvette, I‘ll try not to lose control.”_   I wanted to thank him for saying that, but the moment was cut short. We had both seen movement, and had placed our focus on it.  
    It had been in front of us, and when I heard the voice, I went on alert.  The voice had a eerie quality to it, and it sent chills down my spine when it spoke.  “Well, cousin, I was hoping to meet ye later.  How did you find out I was here?  Did my fake Mondo do something unexpected?”  It was then I saw the source of the voice, and I swear, the man looked like he was part plant.  It looked wrong.  
    A quick glance at Sean told me that he was both upset and worried.  I didn't know the full story about what happened between them, but I could tell by his tone as he spoke.  "Why are you here, Tom?  I know it isn't good, so what are ye planning?"  For a moment, I thought that he was even going to use his powers on our current foe.  
    The figure didn't act like he had been threatened at all.  Tom seemed confident as he responded to Sean's question, and there was malice in it as well. "Isn't it obvious, cousin?  Ye are being replaced as teacher here.  As of right now, I'm in charge." At that moment, two giant roots rose from the ground like two giant snakes, and I recalled what Richard had said about being hugged by a boa.  
    The first one lashed out, and grabbed Sean, throwing him in the process as Tom said, "I will admit this wasn't part of the plan to begin with, but I can adapt, as you can see.  This power isn't one you're immune to." Luckily, Sean hit the ground, and only looked dazed at that moment.  I then saw Tom look at us, and the second root starting to come towards us.  As Richard and I went to avoid the attack, Tom demonstrated that he suspected one of us caused the events that escalated his plan.  "I figure one of you two alerted my dear cousin to my arrival.  Well, let me demonstrate how I took down your friend, Mondo."  
    That second root came at us.  It would have hit Richard as it struck, but he leapt out of the way in time.  I should have been watching the other root, because it struck me hard.  I went flying through the air, and I was able to see I was going to hit one of the older trees.  I knew when I hit it, it would hurt, and there was no telling how my power would complicate things.  
    In a second, I saw it. Angelo was using his powers to grab me.  I quickly reeled in my powers so he could safely grab me.  I had done it in time, and he pulled me to safety.  To my dismay, however, it wasn't in time to stop the scream I heard in my head.  Richard was screaming in rage and anger.  He saw me get hurt, and thrown to what might have been a lethal injury.  He was going to let loose on who did it.  
  
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    Angelo, who was not been a stranger to painful memories, could see that Yvette was starting to have trouble continuing the story.  He sat forward, and looked at her.  “Yvette, you want me to continue from this point?”  He wouldn‘t if she didn‘t want him too, but he had a feeling that none of the others who had been present for it were going to speak up.  
    As he expected, she just nodded.  “Yes, Please.”  He then watched her leave the table, and head over to a corner.  He had noticed that some tears were starting to go down her face.  No doubt that mental link that formed between them when Richard took on her powers allowed her to feel his rage at that key moment.  He also saw Jubilation get up, and head over to Yvette’s side.  He had to say this for Jubilee; the girl really had compassion for anyone on the team, with the possible exception of Monet.  Of course, he realized that part of this was because of the girl’s past with the X-Men.  After the other event, though, Jubilee had been hanging with Yvette almost everyday.  
    He returned his attention to the table when he heard Jean ask, “So what happened after that, Angelo?  I take it that whatever it was, it was very traumatic for everyone.”  Angelo had to mentally agree with what Jean had said.   
    He nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, keeping his concentration as he let a grim look cross his face.  “Well, you could say that.  You could also say that you don’t have to worry about Black Tom anymore.”  He saw a look of shock cross the faces of both Jean and Scott.  He could also see that Scott was trying to find words for the obvious question to come, so he cut it off, and continued the tale.


	5. Angelo’s Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angelo takes over the task of telling the tale of Black Tom's attack. Unfortunately, this included the most grisly moment in the battle, a moment that in part scarred the new student.

    I had just pulled Yvette to safety.  Jono and I had been in the back, and had been watching both Richard and her.  In that brief moment, as I got her, Richard disappeared in the darkness of the woods.  At first I thought maybe I had missed him being struck.  With all those tendrils Tom had, it was very possible.  
    I realized that Richard was still active when the tendrils start falling, like they had been cut.  Richard must have been slashing them.  The actions weren't going unnoticed by Tom.  He just didn't understand what was happening.  He was looking about, trying to find Richard, and obviously confused about what was happening when he said, "What in Samhein?"  
    He wasn't the only one, since as Tom tried to find Richard, I heard Sean say in a slightly groggy voice.  "What's going on?"  I glanced at him, and saw him looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.  "And where is Skitz?"  
    Yvette had spoke up before any of us could, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that heard some fear in her voice.  “He’s fighting him, sir.  When I got hit, I heard him scream in our mind link.  He didn’t like seeing me get hurt.”  I noticed then that she was rubbing her side, right where she had been hit.  
    I returned my eyes to where the fight had to be, and saw a few more of the tendrils get cut.  "Judging by how those tendrils are going down, I don't think Skitz is going to let your cousin succeed."  I would have said more, but I had to shield my eyes from a sudden bright light.  
    It turned out that Black Tom had made himself generate light, like the plants in dark areas.  What it did, other than illuminate the area, was it made a living shadow appear in front of him.  It was Richard, and he was recovering from the sudden light.  My sight had recovered enough so I could see that his eyes were covered.  
    It was then that Black Tom started to reach for Richard, saying "Now I have ye.  One problem gone in just a moment, and then I'll take care of the rest of yur brats, cousin.”  I then noticed that the hand reaching for Richard was starting to glow.  While I didn’t know Black Tom’s abilities, I had a feeling that what was going to happen was linked to it.  
    I heard Sean shout to Richard, “Watch out, lad.”  It was a moot point, however, since Richard had already reacted.  I’m guessing that when Richard had Yvette’s powers, he had a fast recovery time.  He was also now easier to see, since along with his brown eyes, his one hand was outlined in red.  There had also been another scream in the air.  
    I noticed at that point that Black Tom was now holding his arm, and it was him screaming.  There were red lines along the arm being held, which told me that Richard took a swipe at Black Tom.  
    What unfolded after that I could not do full justice to in describing.  I had seen things similar to that during some altercations in the hood, but none were as gruesome.  In fact, when things happened, only one voice said anything.  It was Yvette’s, and all she could say was, “My God.”  
    I will try to do it justice, though.  While it was gruesome, it had a strange beauty to it.  Jono had been the next one to remark as Richard started to react to Black Tom preparing to strike.  Richard first swung his left hand, and followed swiftly with his right hand.  It was when Richard followed those strikes with a backwards somersault, showing that his shoes were ruined by his now clawed feet, and those feet struck Black Tom as well.  I think we all heard Jono in our minds saying, _“Bloody hell!”_   It coincided with Black Tom falling to his knees.  
    Richard landed on his feet, and lunged forward with a head butt.  With his hair spiked up like Yvette’s when she is using her powers, it was obvious to all what the outcome was going to be.  I think I was the only one not to avert my eyes.  I’m sure everyone then heard the two thuds, but I saw it.  The top part of Black Tom’s body flew back off his torso, and hit the ground.  The torso, however, just dropped to the ground.  That wasn’t the end of the carnage, though.  Richard lunged forward and went at both halves of Black Tom with his claws.  It was almost like watching a food processor at work.  In almost a minute, there was almost nothing left of Black Tom.  
    It was at that moment that Richard finally stopped, and started turning back to normal.  The guy was literally covered in Black Tom’s blood.  I’m guessing that it was that moment in which Yvette’s ability started leaving him.  I still don’t fully understand his power, but since she had been knocked back but Black Tom, it had to be in the process of leaving him.  Mind you, his clothing was a wreck, since we didn’t really get into our special uniforms.  
    We all approached him slowly, which was understandable with all he had just done.  Richard was looking around, almost like he had no idea how he had gotten in the state he was in.  Hell, I saw the look on Richard’s face at that moment.  I’d seen it on a few people back where I was from.  It was the look someone so loyal to someone, or something, had after they did what they needed to do to defend them.  It was almost as if the person went into a trance.  
    I was about to say something when Richard’s face changed.  It went from no remorse to a fit of sadness.  Richard started crying, and fell to his knees, saying “What have I done?”  It just so happened that at the spot he had fallen to his knees was the only thing left of Black Tom, a part of his face.  
    Sean was the first to say something, placing a comforting hand on Richard‘s shoulder.  I noticed it didn‘t really stop Richard‘s sobs.  I actually didn‘t expect it to, since from the way he spoke, this was the first time he actually killed someone.  Still, Sean tried to say the right words.  “You might have done the world a favor, lad, and saved all our lives.”  
    The way Richard kept sobbing, I don‘t think the words comforted him.  He was even stuttering.  “B-b-b-but I-I-I k-k-killed h-h-him.”  The rest was a bit hard to make out, but I kind of figured what it was.  Richard knew he didn‘t need to kill Black Tom, but did it none-the-less.  No doubt, it was the feelings Richard had for Yvette that drove him.  
    I moved forward, and I had a feeling why he did what he had.  I just thought it might be better not to outright say it.  So, I decided to try and make it sound reasonable.  "Dude, he was threatening all our lives, and yours at that moment.  You fought in self-defense."  
    When Richard shook his head in disagreement, I wasn't surprised. He knew why he acted like he did, and the only one who blamed him was himself.  "I didn't fight in self-defense.  I fought in rage.  I lost control of my temper, and that man paid for it."  The guy was about to break into another fit of sobs.  
    I think it was the best thing at that moment for Yvette to go over a put an arm around him, while keeping her eyes focused on his face.  “You were worried about me, and were protecting me.  When you thought he had injured me, you reacted in the same way I might have if he had hurt you.”  She then helped him stand up, as Sean placed his jacket over Richard.  I saw Richard still trembled a little as we started to head back to the school.  
    As we all headed back in, Jono, who had remained relatively quiet during the whole thing, finally broke the psychic silence with a bit of reason.  _“Richard, you may want to get cleaned off once we get back.  It can’t be too healthy to remain covered in someone else’s blood, especially with your power.”_   I don’t think any one of us had thought about that.  I noticed that Richard only dully nodded in acknowledgement.  
    As we neared the main building, Sean started to hang back, and he quietly asked me, “Lad, I hate to assume things, but I have to ask since you seemed the least bothered by what we witnessed.  Did ye ever see anything like this back in L.A.?”  At that point, I really couldn’t answer.  I’ve seen people do things like that, yes.  I never saw someone give into a rage that had been building up though.  It was something both humbling, and horrifying.  I have to admit that at the time, the only answer I could give was a shrug of my shoulders.  
  
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    Jubilee was still comforting Penny when Angelo finished telling everyone about the end of Black Tom’s attack.  She heard about it once after she and the other girls returned after Christmas, and it was bad enough then.  To hear about it again, from someone else’s point of view, made it more disturbing.  She now wondered, while rubbing Penny’s back, what would have happened if Richard had had her power at the time of the attack.  All of sudden, the image of the whole school disappearing in an atomic blast filled her mind, and she shuddered.  
    She got the image out of her head, thankfully, when Jean spoke up, saying, “If the act was in self-defense, it shouldn’t plague him so.  While it is better to try and reason with a foe, Black Tom hasn’t been one to reason with.”  Had she been at the school at the time, Jubilee would have gladly told Richard that.  She had a bit of knack for helping her teammates when they recovered from the things they had gone through.  
    At that point, she heard Emma’s response to the statement, and it brought up another disturbing event.  “Jean, Richard is a very emotional person, and the last thing he wants to do is harm someone, let alone kill them.  He had been upset when Emplate forced him to attack Jubilee.”  She shuddered when she recalled that.  Both she and Richard had been in the med center for a while after that.  She had also been the first to see Richard awaken from the coma he’d been in after using Emplate’s devices and weakness against him.  She still remember the look of regret on his face when he remembered what he had done, and the pain it had caused him.  
    Jubilee watched as Sean sat back, nodding in an understanding way as he said, “It can be very painful to do something you don’t want to do, more so if it is against your will.”  
    She was thankful when Emma nodded in agreement, and continued.  “Yes, but he recovered from it.  Also, during the days after the attack, and after we returned from Monet’s home in Monaco, he was still recovering mentally from it.  For most people, killing is not something that is easy to cope with.  It is a scar to one’s soul to kill another person.”  
    Jubilee heard Sean sigh as he stated something she had figured was coming.  “The lad went back to the same spot every day, and put a flower there.  It was like he was trying to make peace with my cousin.  To be honest, I doubt Tom would have appreciated the gesture, nor the thought behind it.”  After hearing Sean say that, Jubilee now understood the reason for Richard’s trek, even though at the time of the next set of events, she didn’t fully know what had happened.  
    There was a silence before Jean came to the obvious conclusion about what came next.  “I’m guessing something more happened before Richard recovered from this encounter.  Am I correct?”  The way Jean looked around, Jubilee felt that one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet was looking for someone to volunteer the next part of the story.  
    Jubilee stopped comforting Yvette, and looked right at Jean.  The action drew everyone’s attention, and she took a deep breath before speaking.  “From what we all discovered, Richard’s family had a seriously big skeleton in their closet.  One they were hiding from him, and I found out about it the same time he confronted it.”  Already, her mind was racing back to that day.  
    She almost faltered in what she was about to say when she heard Sean confirm what she said.  “Aye, the scary thing about it was that we all knew about it.  His father told us about it on the day he brought Richard’s stuff here.”  She hadn’t realized that, but then again, she was half with it after the attack.  She felt a little better about it when Sean followed up with, “Mind you, he didn’t tell us everything, but I think it was because he didn‘t fully know everything.”  
    She was a little surprised when Scott asked, “Was this the relative that he thought was dead?”  She wondered just how much of the information they had found out prior to the incident.  
    Jubilee decided to just move forward with the story.  She took a deep breath, and calmly answered the question.  “Yes, and I remember the look on Richard’s face that day.”  It wasn’t a nice thing to remember, and now she was going to go into the story of how his breakdown fully started.


	6. Jubilee's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Jubilation Lee recounts more of the events that led to the new student's break down, which includes an encounter with a very dangerous individual.

  I had been walking with Richard and Penny, or as everyone else calls her, Yvette, as they headed into the woods outside the school grounds. I was getting caught up on the events that happened while Frosty, Paige and I were at Monet's place for Christmas. Since only Penny and Richard went to the location of the fight since then, I walked with them. Judging by the way Richard carried himself, he wasn't fully alright with things. It was why I stayed quiet until they stopped walking.  
  I looked around for a moment, taking everything in. While I wasn't fully familiar with the woods outside the school grounds at the time, I could sense something was off. I wasn't sure if the woods looked darker, or if the place was quieter than usual, but something seemed off about the area. I calmly asked them, "Is this where it happened?"  
  Richard answered me as he removed his glasses. "Yes." It was all he had said, and I got a feeling why. He was wiping his eyes, and I could see that he had tears in his eyes. He then placed a flower on the ground, and remained kneeling for a moment.  
  As I watched him, Penny walked over to me, and quietly said, "He's done this everyday since the attack. Sean said that he thinks it is Richard's way of recovering from the attack, but I don't understand why he is doing it if it is."  
  To be honest, I sort of understood why. I could even imagine myself doing it myself, under the right circumstances. I haven't killed anyone, but I suppose I might have if Bishop hadn't stopped Sabertooth. Still, I had to explain why he thought that. "I think he's trying to ease his conscience. If you aren't used to fighting with lethal force, it is something you have to cope with."  
  It was at that time that Richard finally stood up. Penny nodded to me, thankful for what I said, and went over to his side. I watched as she took his hand for a moment, asking "Do you need some time alone?" I could hear the caring tones in her voice, and I could imagine her hoping the answer would be no. To be honest, I think Richard needed her company. It was helping him recover from the attack.  
  I was glad when he took her hand and smiled. It was a good sign in my book. I will admit that I felt awkward watching the moment, but with what had occurred on that spot before, I guess awkward scenes might have been a step up. Still, the good signs continued when he said to her, "No, Yvette. I need to find a way to relax, and I think a nice walk will be the thing, especially if you'd join me."  
  I knew what Richard was hoping to hear, and I figured Penny knew too. No doubt at that time Richard needed her company more than she needed his. I wasn't surprised when she looked him in the eyes and said, "I'd love to." I then watched them walk off into the woods.  
  Now, I know what you might be thinking. You probably figured I would tag after them a little, but I didn't. First off, I didn't want to be a third wheel. Second, everyone had pretty much come to the conclusion that Richard wouldn’t do anything ungentlemanly. It was just the vibe we got from him. So instead of following them, I decided to look around the site.  
  It was eerie to think that Black Tom had done so much in so little time. He had captured and replaced Mondo, and plotted to take over the school. I started to wonder how he was going to capture us all when my eyes landed on the remains of his face. As I looked at it, part of me thought it was still alive. All I thought would have needed was for me to get to close, and I would have captured.  
  I shook my head before the thought ran away with me. It couldn't still be alive. It was a separate piece, and one Richard was keeping as a reminder. I figured he kept it there as a reminder to keep himself from losing control again. While I understood the reasoning, it also made the site creepy as hell. That was only made worse when I noticed that the woods around the location had gone eerily quiet. I guess all my time with Wolvie made me more aware of my surroundings in situations like this.  
  After a moment, I heard movement, and I didn’t like the sound. It had come from behind me, which was the opposite direction that Richard and Penny had gone. Now I know Sean had told us that anytime we think something strange is happening, we were to contact him or Emma first, but we all know what I did. The same thing I do in any similar scenario. I checked it out for myself.  
  I moved towards where the sound had come from, but I held off on prepping any of my plasmoids. If it was a lost person, I didn’t want to freak them out, nor cause any hostilities to start. Besides, a stray plasmoid could even start a forest fire, and after the whole Black Tom thing, I didn’t think we needed that kind of attention.  
  Looking back on the situation, I’m sorry I didn’t do that. By the time I reached the spot where I thought I heard the sound, I didn’t see anything. That was because the person who caused the sound had somehow gotten behind me. Before I could react, he had grabbed me from behind, saying, “Strange. I did my best to hide, and still you found me, Ms. Lee.”  
  The fact that the strange man had known my name wasn’t lost on me. When you hang with the X-Men, people learn about you, even if you don’t say a word, or encounter the person. This guy was no different, except for a few details. My first reaction had been to scream, which didn’t make him flinch. I couldn’t fire sparks at him, mainly because he had already grabbed my wrists in one hand. He was strong, but I wasn’t about to give up. While I might not have been able to fight right away, I could still draw attention to the location.  
  While I struggled, he made me face him, and I could make out unnerving details. His hair was short and white, and he had features that were both familiar, and unknown. I couldn’t be sure why that was. He also noticed the eyes, and there was an unnatural glow in them. One that hinted at something mechanical or computerized at play. It was enough to make me ask the one key question. “Who are you?”  
  I saw a cold smile cross his face, and his grip tightened for a moment as he spoke. When he spoke, I swear I must have heard something else added to his voice. It was something subtle, but evil. “You may call me…”  
  The surprise on his eyes must have been in my own as well, since the voice who finished it was Richard’s. I dared a glance in the direction the voice came from, which was behind the man, and I saw tears in Richard’s eyes, and there was pain in his voice when he said the name. There had been a quiver in his voice when he said the name too, which punctuated the moment as everyone arrived at the scene. “Bastion.”

  
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  Emma Frost was thankful that Scott hadn’t be drinking anything when he reacted to the last word Jubilation said as she finished her part. She really didn’t feel like being physically present for what they call ‘The Spit Take’. His reaction was to be expected though. “Bastion, head of Zero Tolerance, had attacked the school.” She had heard that two of the X-Men had managed to infiltrate the organization, finding out how dangerous the group had been.  
  She watched as Jean placed a hand on Sean’s arm in an attempt to calm him down. “Scott, I have a feeling that the events that happened here are what led to the end of Zero Tolerance.” That bit of information had surprised Emma. She had learned a little about Zero Tolerance prior to the trip to Monet’s home. She hadn’t realized that Bastion’s end at the school actually marked the end of the group.  
  She then saw Jean look at the group, and heard her ask the question she was sure was on both the X-Men’s minds. “How did Richard know who Bastion was?”  
  It had been a fair question, and she was glad Sean was answering it. “Remember how I said that Richard believed he lost a member of his family.” At the time of the confrontation, she hadn’t fully put all the pieces together, but after hearing about the groups end, the confrontation had a deeper impact that none of them knew, especially now.  
  It was Scott who drew the correct conclusion first. “Wait. You’re saying that Richard was related to Bastion. That’s not possible. Zero Tolerance was shown to be a group of advanced form of Sentinels.” More of that confrontation came back to her, and she knew she had to tell the next part of the story.  
  Emma kept her voice calm, knowing full well that the next part of the story could be very emotional for all, since not everyone knew what went on in the mind of the key person at that moment. In fact, she addressed the first key point then. “Yes, they were, but with human minds. Apparently, Bastion had joined the project and became what he was, almost losing the person he had been.”  
  She noticed that last statement had piqued Jean’s interest. “What do you mean by ‘Almost’?”  
  Emma leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table, and continued the story. “Bastion had been Bastion Cale, the uncle Richard had thought committed suicide. His family didn’t have the heart to tell him what his uncle had actually done, since Richard’s abilities had only started to manifest. Since Richard also adored his uncle, the truth would have been a nasty blow at the time. Turns out that it wasn’t the worst blow Richard could have received.” She then began telling the accounts of the confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to point out that when I first wrote this chapter, not much was known about the character Bastion. It was some time after the posting of this story that it was revealed that Bastion was actually a merger of the Sentinel from the future Nimrod, and the Master Mold. Since all fanfiction is, in its basic formal, an alternate universe, and this was written prior to that revelation, I will keep with the way I presented Bastion, mixing it with the given facts revealed after that in this rewrite. If you've read the original, you will understand why.


	7. Emma's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma recounts the encounter that began in the previous chapter, as the characters have a standoff with Bastion from Zero Tolerance.

  When I got onto the scene with the others, I was very worried by what I saw. The unknown man was holding Jubilation in a way that appeared threatening, but he had locked eyes with Richard. Yvette was standing next to Richard, obviously worried. The whole scene, however, was so quiet that it was like time had frozen. Since I was nearest to Sean, I had quietly asked him, “What’s happening?”  
  I noticed Sean was keeping his eyes on the scene, but I heard him answer me. “I dinnae, Emma. Richard and Yvette had both stated they heard Jubilee scream, and that they were going to check it out. We all came out, no doubt thanks to the two of them calling everyone, and we all arrive to see this scene. It worried me, since I’m getting this strange vibe about it.”  
  I was about to confirm I had a bad feeling about the scene myself when the man finally spoke, and I actually heard some concern in his voice. “Richard, what are you doing here? Did these mutants abduct you from home?” It was then I started to realize that this man knew Richard, and something started to nag at my mind; something I heard when Richard was just settling in at the school.  
  I then tried to use the distraction to try and probe the man’s mind, and maybe even get him to release Jubilation. Given my experience, I figured it would be easy. I was wrong, however, since just an initial probing told me something very worrying. I detected an artificial presence shielding parts of his mind. I knew in a matter of moments what it was, and it was horrifying.  
I turned to Sean, and said, “Sean. He’s a Sentinel, or some sort of hybrid. That doesn‘t explain, however, how he knows Richard.” I then saw Sean’s eyes, and realized what had been nagging at me. It was nagging at Sean’s mind as well, and I realized how bad this situation was.  
  Sure enough, it was that moment that Richard responded to the man, and confirmed my worst fears at that moment. “How can you say something like that? You were always the one saying how all people are equal, and should be treated that way. You are acting like these people are some sort of criminals. I came here by choice, not by force. But why are you here, Bastion? I was told you were dead.” While he didn’t say the word, I realized this was Richard’s Uncle.  
  The response that came from the man chilled me to the bone. “Mutants are not people, Richard. They are freaks of nature that should be eliminated.” I could both sense and see Jubilee’s fear after hearing that. Richard was remaining calm, but I could sense that he was struggling to remain that way. I could even sense Yvette trying to help him. The next words Bastion said, however, threatened to destroy that calm. “No doubt, your parents were trying to protect you from the harsh truth. The world needs to be cleansed of them. Now, I know you can’t be here by choice, since you aren’t a mutant.”  
  I knew Richard was almost about to lose it at that point. With him most likely holding Yvette’s power, I was sure if he let lose, it would not be good. To my relief, and horror, he advanced towards the man, and responded to the statement. “I am a mutant, Uncle. It was a few days after my ability appeared that I was told that you killed yourself. Now I find out it was a lie to protect me from the worst thing of all. You had always told me to treat people as equals, regardless of what they were. Now I find out you were the biggest hypocrite in the world. I wish you really were dead now.” I saw Richard shake his head. “The man I saw as a second father would rather see me dead. Well, if you plan to do anything to them, you have to kill me first.” I could tell he meant that, and it was only increased by the fact that he stood at attention in front of Bastion, and had closed his eyes.  
  At that moment, no one moved at all. They were all to scared to, since they all knew that it would cost Richard and Jubilee their lives. I was scared as well, since this connection between Richard and Bastion was so close. I figured I need to do something, and the best thing I could do was try to get through to the human part of our attacker. I again tried to scan Bastion’s mind. This time, I could see the conflict in his own mind. The man was busy arguing with some thing robotic that looked like him. The images were struggling, and neither appeared to be gaining ground.  
  Finally, I saw the human form look at me, as if he could sense me there. As he did, I heard him talk to me. _“Ms. Frost, I know who you are. I don’t want to kill my nephew. I never knew he was a mutant, or that he was here to begin with. I always did tell him to treat people with kindness, and to strive to make a better world.”_ I saw him face the Sentinel part again, still struggling with it for control. _“Now, this blasted machine says I have to kill him, and that he’s a plague to mankind.”_  
  I could tell that the man who Richard had known was still in there, so I took a chance to reason with him. _“Your nephew, like all the students here, came here to learn about their powers, and learn to use them to help instead of harm. Even Jubilation, the girl you first grabbed, came here to do that. All of them want to learn to use their powers to help, and to control them so they don’t inadvertently harm someone.”_ I then hoped my statements made their way though to his mind.  
  The struggle I saw in Bastion’s mind continued, and then the form that had been human seemed to get the upper hand. He then said to me, _“I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I’m making sure this ends here. Please tell Miss Lee to move away, I don’t want her to get injured by what I’m about to do. Also, give my nephew my apologies. I understand if he won’t listen now, but he needs to know I did this to make amends.”_ At first, I was a bit confused by the statement, but then I understood when I noticed a panicked look on the part of his mind that was controlled by the Sentinel. Bastion had chosen to really end his life right then and there.  
  I was back viewing the events, and I shouted, “Jubilee, get away, now. Everyone else, don’t move.” It was barely a moment after the first words left my lips that Jubilee did as she was told. She quickly bolted away from Bastion, and over to where Everett was.  
  Only one person didn’t appear to listen to my words. Monet had started to move towards Richard, most likely thinking Richard might be too close to what was about to happen. She had even started to hover, and I psychically ordered, _“Child, I told you not to move. Get back, or you will get injured.”_  
  Monet looked at me, and there was a mix of concern and defiance on her face, as if she thought I didn’t know what I was doing. She even started to talk back to me. _“Ms. Frost, Richard..”_  
  I cut her off, saying _“Richard will be fine, physically.”_ Before I could continue, the figure that was Bastion exploded. The only thing I could figure had happened was that he had mentally activated the self destruct, and no doubt because the charges were on the small size, or a controlled type of explosion, the man exploded into a spray of blood.  
  It had sprayed out in a small range, which Richard was on the outside ring of. Everyone else had avoided getting hit by it, but I could tell that I had been right about the statement I hadn’t completed to Monet. Richard had opened his eyes, and was raising a hand to his face. The expression on his face is what clued me in. It was emotionless, but he noticed that Bastion was dead. I couldn’t sense rage, sadness, or any other emotion from Richard. I chanced a glance at Yvette, and I could sense worry coming from her. Physically, Richard remained unhurt, but emotionally, he was a mess, and he wasn’t letting anyone in.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

  Monet St Croix watched as Emma finished her part of the account. She had also sensed what Emma had mentioned that day, but she hadn’t reflected on it much. She had been consumed by her own inner turmoil that day. Still, she appreciated Jean’s reaction when the redhead gasped after hearing that. “That must have been terrible for him to witness. I know he didn’t actually see it, but still.”  
  In the back of Monet’s mind, she heard a snide voice say, _“Not as horrible as it could have been. Besides, it put him in the right mind set.”_ Monet wanted to verbally chastise the voice, but knew that would have looked odd. No one here knew that secret about her, and she wasn’t ready to have it found out.  
  Emma, however, had confirmed what that voice had said. “That was what led to the breakdown, Jean, but we didn’t know how severe it was until recently.” She watched Emma lean forward, resting her elbows on the table. “You see, we figured Richard was upset about everything that had happened, and that we needed to keep an eye on him.”  
  She heard Yvette pipe up at that statement. “It had been my suggestion, since he seemed to be even shutting me out. I was worried that he might do something rash.” Monet saw the same worry in Yvette’s eyes at that moment, and saw they were the same as the day she suggested it.  
  Again, the voice in the back of her mind spoke up in her head. _“We could have had her back with him as well that day, if you had let me do it.”_ Again, Monet wanted to shout back at the voice in her head, but she knew she couldn’t, not now.  
  She saw Jean nod in understand to Yvette’s statement, and heard the woman ask the key question. “I understand, but exactly how serious had it become at that point?”  
  Monet found herself answering the question, and became the center of attention to everyone there. “Richard tried to take his own life.” She almost regretted saying that, since while everyone was looking at her, the voice in the back of her mind was cackling.  
  It was Scott Summers who asked the question she knew she’d have to give an incomplete answer to. “How did he try and do this?”  
  She felt like a deer in headlights now. She knew if she told everyone every detail of that day, she would have to expose her own dark secret. She also knew how it would effect the team, as well as her position in the team. Some relations, especially between her and Jubilation were already on shaky ground. She sighed then, and responded with an honest answer. “I don’t think he truly wanted to go through with it, mind you. He had said once that drugs would kill him, due to the medications he takes for Epilepsy.” She thought back to the day not so long ago, and said, “I think he wanted to face death on his terms, although the method he was using would have killed his self more than himself.” She then started telling about that fateful day, leaving out details that the voice in her head would have loved to tell everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those unfamiliar with my work, but know the current history of characters, when this story was initially written, not much was known about the character Bastion. Between then and now, a lot was revealed about the characters backstory. Since I am rewriting the series, I am continuing with what I established in the series as I wrote it. All fan-fiction is, in its simplest form, is alternate realities.


	8. Monet's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monet recounts the final parts of the break down that hits the new student, leading to the discovery of the actual source of the new student's mental distress. The only thing complicating it is the fact that she is trying to make sure her own dark secret isn't revealed in the process.

   I hadn’t been sure what to say that day. Yvette had asked for my help in keeping an eye on Richard. I was still in shock about it, since everyone knew that Emplate was my brother. I figured she wouldn’t trust me to help her out. Yes, I had fought with Generation X against him, but I knew she was suspicious of me. Also, Yvette prior to the incident involving Bastion seemed to stay by Richard’s side. The fact that he was apparently shunning her company, as well as everyone else’s, seemed to hint that something was wrong.  
   Yvette had been constantly keeping an eye on Richard, and with her past and skills, it wasn’t hard to believe that she could successfully do so. This day, when Richard started walking into the woods that surrounded the school, made her more fretful, hence she turned to the person I figured she trusted the least, me.  
   As we followed him into the woods, I noticed that Yvette seemed more anxious than usual. Her hands were tensing up almost involuntarily. I noticed they tensed and untensed as we walked. I didn’t press, since I figured what the problem was. I just gave her time to finally voice it. Sure enough, Yvette finally broke the silence, keeping her voice low so not to tip off Richard that we were following him. “Monet, I’ve been worried about Richard lately. He’s been keeping his distance from me. I mean, after the whole incident involving Sean’s cousin, he stayed with me almost all the time, and I was comforting him. I don’t know what’s going on with him now.”  
   I glanced at Yvette, and I saw the genuine worry in her eyes. I couldn’t blame her, since Richard had done so much for her, and meant so much to her. Now, he was isolating himself from everyone, including her. There was something truly troubling him. I tried to comfort Yvette, remembering what we all were told. “Everyone is worried about him, especially with the way he‘s been trying to avoid everyone. Emma told us that we had to keep an eye on him, at all times. She‘s afraid he‘s going to do something rash or foolish.” I watched as he kept walking, and I said to her, in hopes of comforting her, “I doubt he will try something here, but we will watch him, just in case.”  
   I knew Yvette was relieved to hear that, but I could still sense that she wasn‘t fully relaxed. We then continued following Richard, and he had seemed to be walking in the same direction for some time. It was almost as if he was being drawn to something. I looked back for a moment, and couldn‘t see any traces of the school. I knew it was behind us, but we had obviously gone so far that we couldn‘t see it. I actually began to think that Richard had gotten lost. If he had, us helping him back would have blown all future attempts to keep an eye on him.  
   Eventually, I noticed something becoming clearer through the woods. We were headed towards a structure, and I couldn‘t tell what kind of building it was. I started to have a bad feeling about it, however, when I glanced at Yvette, and she was starting to tense up, almost fully reverting to her form when her powers were fully active. Panic started to build in me, as I started to fear the worse. In fact, I didn‘t want to believe it, so I asked her, “What‘s wrong, Yvette? What is it?”  
   In that moment, I heard fear in Yvette’s voice as she responded in the very way I feared she would. “Rich is going to kill himself. That’s Emplate’s lair. He’s going to hand himself over to Emplate.” There was genuine fear in her voice, as well as a bit of pain. I could understand that, although not personally familiar with it. I could only figure how Richard found out about the place. It was possible that he figured out the location from both Yvette’s memories, as well as from my brother when he last attacked.  
   Before Yvette could say any more, I took flight. I grabbed her, and then flew as fast as I could towards Richard. It was tricky, since I knew his power might latch onto mine. I just hoped that my speed, as well as having Yvette with me might mean that his power would latch on to hers first.  
   As luck would have it, he paused the second we got near, and before he could react to the sudden presence, I grabbed him, keeping him as close to Yvette as I could. It was the best I could do in that scenario, and I could already sense his distraught feelings.  
   I don’t recall if Yvette tried to hold him while we flew, but I knew he was upset. I heard him say as we flew, “Why didn’t you just let me go? Nothing but disaster seems to follow me. I can’t even have a nice life. If I try, something happens just to ruin it.” He went silent then, and I glanced down at them as I flew. Yvette looked hurt, but she was trying to hold him, trying to give him the emotional support that he gave her.  
   I took that moment to send a mental communication about what happened to the others. That was why when we arrived, I saw Sean, Emma and the others waiting for us. When we landed, I watched as Emma took Richard back to the dorm. Yvette tagged along, obviously still worried about Richard, and I couldn’t blame her on that.  
   I saw a solemn look on Sean’s face as they walked away. He shook his head, and said, “This is serious. I think it’s time to give Scott and Jean a call. Monet, tell everyone that I want them to keep an extra eye on Richard, just in case he tries this kind of stunt again.” He then left, and I mentally relayed the message.  
   Once that was done, I decided to go to the dorm to check on Richard. By the time I got there, I saw both Emma and Yvette standing there. Both were obviously watching him from the door. When Emma saw me approach, she stepped back and said, “Richard has not been having the best days in his life lately. Almost like when we all found out you were Emplate’s sister.”  
   I nodded in silent agreement, wondering at the time if that was the root of the problem. It took all my will power not to focus on that, since I knew that if I were to go into one of my spells at that time, it could be a disaster. Every moment he wasn’t watched would be an opportunity for him to do something else foolish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Monet started to think about all that had happened. After hearing everything from everyone, she realized that the death of Black Tom was only a small part of what happened to Richard’s psyche. As she thought about, she tried to shut out the laughter coming from that dark part of her mind.  
   At that point, she heard Jean say to Sean, as well as to everyone, “Is that everything that happened?” She felt the question was being directed at her, as if Jean already suspected that she hadn’t told them everything. Monet was certain that if she did tell them everything, it would put her in a very difficult situation.  
   Thankfully, Sean responded before she felt any of them could pry. “Aye. We’ve had a close watch on him everyday.” She then saw him shake his head. “It’s just that we don’t know how much longer this is going to continue. We can’t talk to him, because we don’t seem to know what the problem is.” Monet had to respect the calmness that Sean kept as he spoke. The last few words, however, kept echoing in her head. They didn’t seem to know what the problem was.  
   They had assumed it was the two deaths that bothered Richard the most. One life he had taken himself, and the other killing themselves because of Richard. Yes, it was a lot for someone to take on, but for some reason, Monet felt Richard could have coped with killing Black Tom, and would be rational enough to realize the sacrifice was noble. That inner voice, who she knew was taunting her, said, _“He’s to distraught to figure it out. I say we get him and Yvette back to our dear brother. Remember how it was what Richard wanted.”_ Monet didn’t want to shout, but something it had said nagged at her.  
   It came at the same moment she heard Jean remark, “I hope he can recover.” She glanced over at the X-woman and saw a concerned look on her face. “This makes me wonder how Professor Xavier is dealing with what he had done. He still feels responsible for being part of Onslaught.” She then saw the look of anguish that started on Jean’s face, and spread to everyone else’s. They had all felt a pain from that whole incident.  
   It finally hit Monet, and she stood up, slapping her hand on the table. “That’s it. That’s the problem.” When everyone looked at her, she tried to say calmly what she figured out, while the inner voice was cursing her out. “I’ve figured out the problem. I know what’s wrong with Richard.”  
   It was Sean who asked the question that was on everyone else’s mind at that moment. The one they were all trying to figure out. “What’s wrong with him, lass?”  
   Again, she had to resist the urge to engage the inner voice that was now calling her every obscene name in the book. She just hoped that as she spoke, neither Emma nor Jean could sense her psychic distress. “Betrayal. When he found out about Bastion, he felt betrayed, and it didn’t go away when Bastion made that sacrifice. In fact, I think it is at the root of the whole issue with Black Tom. Richard betrayed his own values, having lashed out in anger, killing Black Tom.” There was a look of shock, and possible understanding upon all their faces.  
   She felt a little slighted, however, when Scott made a remark that caught her off guard. “Wait, you mean Bastian, the head of Zero Tolerance, destroyed himself, and the whole group, to save and restore his nephew’s belief in his good nature.” Monet actually staggered back as the implication had hit her, as well as everyone else.  
   It was Emma that recovered first from that bit of news. “You mean that he didn’t just kill himself, he wiped out the whole Zero Tolerance operation, just to restore his nephew’s faith in him.” She saw a slight smile cross Emma’s face. “If Richard knew that, it might just snap him out of this mood he’s in.” Monet saw everyone nod in agreement, and did what she could to ignore the shouting of the voice in the back of her head.  
   Another thought crossed her mind, and she knew it would anger that voice even more. She figured the people who needed to deliver this news were the ones who knew best about betrayal; those who were hurt by someone they thought of as family, as well as one other individual. She looked over at the rest, and then spoke to Emma. “Miss Frost, I think it might be best if Yvette, Jean, Scott and myself went up to talk to Richard. I think we have a good idea of the sense of betrayal he’s feeling.”  
   She was relieved when Emma nodded and said, “I think that is an excellent idea, Monet. Just be careful how you go about it.” She nodded, and then led the way to Richard’s dorm room. All the way, she tried to keep that voice in her, her evil twin, from making herself known to all the psychics there. She was worried that if that happened, no one would trust her again, especially when they learned the real truth.


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the problem now figured out, Yvette, Monet, and the visiting X-Men go to confront the new student. All, however, is not as it seems when the problem appears resolved.

    Everett Thomas remained at the door to his teammate's room. While he knew that watching Richard was just as important as communicating with the X-Men about what his teammate had gone through, he was starting to get a little bored watching him. It wouldn't be so bad if he could talk with Richard, but Richard had taken to isolating himself with music.  
    He thought it was a shame that Richard was isolating himself, but in some ways he understood. After he had been enthralled, and even controlled by Emplate, he tried to withdraw from everyone. It had been Jubilee who managed to break through to him. He figured that Yvette was trying to do the same, but Richard was deeper in his depression than he had been. In fact, Everett figured it was worse than the depression he was in after Monet broke him free of Emplate's control.  
    As the time passed, he kept looking in the door, knowing full well that Yvette would never forgive him if Richard found some way to leave undetected. They had all heard of what Richard had done to Black Tom, and Everett didn't want to see what she would do in anger. He still remembered how she ran amok on her first day at the school.  
    After a bit, he heard the sounds of music coming from the room. He had learned Richard had a varied taste in music, ranging from Oldies to New Age. This didn't mean much, since what ever he listened to never matched his mood. Everett just had to hope that the music was a good sign.  
    He had just looked in the room, trying to figure out the music when he heard someone ask, "How is he doing?" He turned to see Yvette, who looked a little worried, but a little hopeful as well. He also saw that Monet was with her, as well as Scott Summers and Jean Grey.  
    He gave her a truthful answer. "Well, he put some music on, nothing I am familiar with, so I don't know if that's good or not." He watched as Yvette closed her eyes, and listened for a moment.  
    When she smiled, he felt relieved that the music was a good sign. "I remember that music. It is from a Jim Henson movie. I think it is a good sign." She then looked at him, but pointed to Monet as she said, "Monet thinks she figured out the problem."  
    Before he could ask her, Monet volunteered the answer to his question. "It all stems from betrayal. Richard betraying his normal instincts when he killed Black Tom. The betrayal he felt from his uncle after finding out he was alive. It was just too much, too quickly. He thinks he's the only one who knows how it feels."  
    Everett thought about that for a moment, and he had to admit Monet had a point. While he didn't know about it personally, he could see the connection. He felt certain that was how his parents felt when Emplate had enthralled him. He only stopped thinking about how his parents had felt back then when he noticed the absence of music.  
    He turned to look in the room, startling everyone. A quick glance into the room told him Richard was no longer lying on his bed. He hadn't looked away for long, so he was certain Richard was still in the room. He didn't want to resort to using his power to pinpoint Richard's location in the room, since they still didn't know if his power could handle Richard's without any adverse effects.  
    He then saw Yvette run into the room, calling out his name. "Rich. Please answer me." He took a chance then, hoping Yvette was near enough to Richard so he could latch on to Richard's abilities when they were mimicking Yvette's. Sure enough, Yvette had to be close to him, since he heard the call again, but this time, he heard it in his head, and in a different language.

    Richard Cale had heard the people outside his dorm room door. He knew that Everett had been there, but he didn't want any company. He wanted to be alone, but that wasn't happening. Everybody had been keeping an eye on him, never letting him escape his problems, and even his life. Everything had just gone wrong. He had put the music on to try and figure things out, but when he heard the talking outside the door, he put on headphones, and got down on the floor, out of sight of the door.  
    At that point, the partial lyric of the song by David Bowie hit him. "Don't tell me truth hurts," echoed through his mind, especially since it was so spot on for what had happened. The truth about his uncle had hit him hard. It made him long to be, as the song said, "Where nothing ever hurt again." Could he ever find that?  
    His lamenting was interrupted when he heard a familiar voice in his mind. _"Richard. Rich, where are you? We need to talk."_ It was Yvette, and she had to be near enough that his ability had latched on to her powers. For a moment, he figured he could do something to duck out of view. He didn't want to cause her to be hurt by his problems. If he hid, and didn't respond, they might all leave him alone.  
    That idea got squashed seconds later when he noticed another figure levitating in the air. It was Monet, and their eyes locked for a moment. The music had gotten soft at that point, and he heard her say, "He's here, Yvette. I think he was trying to hide from all of us." In a moment, he noticed something, but he couldn't be sure. It looked like that for a brief moment, there might have a completely different person looking at him, but that could have been some sort of paranoia.  
    He then saw Yvette walking over to him. She had quickly fallen for him, and the feeling had been mutual. It had been part of why he felt miserable, as he realized that he would only bring her misery. She knelt down, taking his hand, and saying with tenderness he didn't think he deserved, "Rich, there are some people here who can help you. Please get off the floor."  
    He didn't look past her. The way he felt right now, there was only one thing he wanted help with, and he seriously doubted that Yvette would help him with that. Still, he could not help but voice his thoughts. He turned his head away from her, hating himself a bit for doing it, and adding to his despair as he mentally responded to her. _“I don‘t want any company, unless they can help me leave this life.”_ He then reached up to the CD player in an attempt to turn it up, as well as restart the music.  
    He felt two hands grab his wrist. The first one was Yvette‘s, and as he locked eyes with her, he saw that her eyes were pleading with him. Despite all he was going through, he could see she still cared for him, even though he was so messed up right now. As they locked eyes, he heard her say, “Rich, we know what is bothering you. We figured it all out.” He didn‘t believe that for a moment. They couldn‘t have figured out what was bothering him. To be honest, he wasn‘t fully sure of it himself.  
    It was then the other person holding his wrist spoke. It had been Monet St. Croix, and before he could tell her to let go, she said, “Richard, you need to listen. There are people here who can help. We figured things out. I know we can‘t force you to listen to us, but don‘t think Yvette and I are going to let you continue to isolate yourself, unless you take drastic measures against us.” She had hit him with the one thing he didn’t want to do again. He didn’t want to kill someone again, especially someone he knew and cared about. Black Tom’s image kept running through his dreams, and the man had actually deserved what he had gotten.  
    In that moment, he started doing something he rarely did. He started to cry, as everything hit him all at once. He wasn’t sure where it was all coming from, but it was all coming out now. “You can’t possibly understand what I’m going through.”  
    It wasn’t either Monet, or Yvette who responded to his comment, but one of the other people in his room. “I think we can. Allow me to introduce myself and my husband.” It was then that he took notice of the other two people who had come into his dorm room. One was a redheaded woman, who looked familiar for some reason, most likely from one of the X-groups. When he noticed the other figure, a gentleman whose distinguishing feature was ruby red glasses, he knew exactly who they were before she continued, gesturing to the man first. “This is Scott Summers, and I‘m Jean Grey. We are both members of the X-Men, as well as former students of Charles Xavier.”  
    With those last words, he noticed a pang of sadness in her voice. It was the same kind of pain he was going through right now. The one that came from betrayal, and what they suffered was similar, maybe even worse, than his. He started to get up, but as he did, he asked the question he wasn‘t sure if they would answer. “What was he like before Onslaught?”  
    It had been Scott who answered the question, his voice calm. "He was always working to bridge the gap between humans and mutants. He never gave up on peace being possible."  
    Jean followed up that statement. "He had hoped that by serving time for what Onslaught did would keep the dream alive." Richard had a feeling that their situation wasn't the same, but he could see some similarities.  
    He still, however, pointed out the key difference between their situation and his. "That isn't the same as mine, though. The person I had trusted had been biological family, and he ended up being a hypocrite. Do you know about that kind of betrayal?"  
    To his surprise, Monet looked at him and said, "I know about it. I had a similar trust in my brother, until I found out the truth about him." She didn't say any more, or if she did, he didn't hear it. His mind momentarily came up with an image, or memory. He wasn't sure, but for some reason, he envisioned himself trying to calm a crying baby, and even calling them Monet, but it didn't make any sense.  
    He snapped back to the present when Yvette spoke to him. "Richard. When I was younger, my home was blown up. Emplate approached me, looking more human, and he gave no hint of what he was, and offered me shelter. If I had known what kind of monster he would be, I would have taken my chances on the streets at that time.” He saw her shudder, and realized that they all had been betrayed in some way.  
    He then thought to what he had heard a few times when the fog of depression had fully hit him, and sighed. “Well, I still don’t know. I understand my uncle tried to make things right by actually killing himself, but I don’t think it will be enough. There has to be more of those sentinels about, no doubt planning to strike the school since he died here.”  
    He looked over as Jean Grey started to speak. As she spoke, Richard noticed that she had a look amazement on her face. “Do you know what your uncle had done when he did that?” He shook his head, and she continued. “He had sent out a signal that destroyed every Sentinel active in Zero Tolerance, as well as terminating the group.” Richard felt his own eyes grow wide when he heard that.  
    Scott nodded, and he heard the leader of the X-Men say, “We were on our way someplace when a group of their Sentinels attacked our plane. We had been about to take counter measures, and then the robots fell back, and self destructed. When we landed, I had gotten in touch with one of our allies in the government, and they told us what had happened. It actually wasn’t until we heard of your plight that we finally pieced together the whole story.”  
    Richard let the facts sink in. Bastion hadn‘t just killed himself for real, but taken down the whole organization that he was leading. It was an extreme action to prove to him that his uncle still cared for him. He wondered if he would have accepted just a simple apology, but then he wondered if his uncle, the part that was still a human being, had the option of just doing that. There had to be some extenuating circumstances that had to be done to make him a cyborg, if he had the ability to do all that.  
    Finally, he started to get up off the floor. He looked at everyone in the room, but he couldn‘t shake the thought that maybe there was a way that wouldn‘t cost have cost a life. He then brought his gaze to Yvette, who had a slight smile on her face. She could tell he was starting to feel better. “I‘m sorry everyone. It had been just too much in such a short time. I‘ll probably still wish there had been another way that the whole Bastion situation played out. The man who was my uncle regained his humanity long enough to do the right thing, I suppose.”  
    Yvette just hugged him, and he was surprised at how powerful the hug was. “At least you are feeling better. Just don’t do that to us again.” He returned the hug, and as he did so, he heard her say in the mental link they shared when they were together, _“You really had me upset. I don’t want to lose you. Ever.”_ He squeezed her in assurance, and then wondered for a moment if Bastion’s last attempt to make peace with him would have a long lasting effect on the world.

**************************************************************

    Two weeks had passed since things started getting back to normal at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. In her own dorm room, Monet St. Croix sat on her bed, and was writing in her diary. In it, she kept several things that she had kept from all her classmates, as well as her teachers. She had even made sure Emma Frost didn’t have a way at finding out all her secrets. This was one such occasion that she was doing so.

    "January 31"  
    "Dear Diary,"  
    "It has been two weeks since Rich had started to recover from all the events of his first month here. He and Penny, as well as everyone else, had returned to there normal lives. I had narrowly dodged revealing my deepest secret not only to my teammates, but to two of the X-Men as well during that time. If it had been revealed, I would have lost complete trust from everyone here."  
    "As for Bastion, and the fate of Zero Tolerance, Rich still hopes that all that his uncle did here was not for nothing. Richard seems to think that it might be possible that his uncle, had his uncle retained as much humanity as he showed in the end, might have more to come. He doesn't sound pessimistic, but I hope he doesn't regret what he..."

    A knock on the door to her room made her look up. She wasn’t expecting anyone to stop by. Even as she answered the knock, her hand kept writing in the diary. “Yes?“  
    To her surprise, it was the very person she had been writing in her diary about. Richard’s voice came from the other side of the door, and she heard a bit of excitement in it. “Monet, I think something is up. Something I figured might be happening.”  
    This caused her to put her diary down on her bed, and walk over to the door. She opened it, noticing Richard had stepped away from the door, no doubt to prevent his powers from picking up on hers, something she was thankful for at the moment. “What is it?”  
    He showed her a letter, and she briefly looked over it, but it was enough for her to get an idea of what it was before he spoke. “Seems my uncle was doing a little more than he let on. Seems he was secretly protecting one girl. This letter finally got to me stating that he left this girl in the school’s care. Miss Frost is finally getting all the details ironed out.”  
    Monet nodded in response to the last words, and smiled at Richard. “Well, I hope this all works out.” He nodded, and then she shut the door to her room. With this new bit of news, she felt she had to finish her diary entry. To her shock, however, it was already open, and complete.

    "I hope he doesn’t regret what he wishes for, since he and Yvette won’t have much time to enjoy it before I get them back to my brother."  
    "Claudette"

    Monet gasped, and hoped no one was near enough to hear it. She then slammed the diary shut, and momentarily put it in its old hiding spot, hoping no one would see what she just wrote. She then placed it in the new hiding spot she had for it, just in case Angelo might snoop again. That little entry could ruin everything, and reveal the shameful truth about her.

Finis?


End file.
